803-545-3800
Solid Waste Division, to arrange a bulky item pickup on your regular schedule
3 streams
garbage in the cart, yard trimmings and bulk items in separate piles
Free e-waste
anything that plugs in, at Public Works, 2910 Colonial Dr, weekdays 8 to 5
Every route for a mattress in Columbia, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Columbia guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Columbia, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Columbia bulk item collection: mattresses
Free, with a step firstMattresses are bulk waste by arrangement.
Who qualifies: Residential and small commercial locations served by the City of Columbia Solid Waste Division.
How to schedule: Bulk items are collected separately from the roll cart on your regular schedule; the Solid Waste Division asks residents to call 803-545-3800 (Monday to Friday, 8 to 5) to arrange a bulky pickup and confirm what is accepted. Check your address in the Waste Wizard at publicworks.columbiasc.gov.
Limits: Resident-generated household items. Keep bulk separate from yard trimmings and never in the roll cart; carts back by 7:30 p.m.
Set-out: At the curb on your scheduled day, 3 feet from carts, mailboxes, trees, and vehicles, in a separate pile from yard trimmings.
Donation pickup in Columbia (usable mattresses)
FreeColumbia’s donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (subject to program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods.
Items typically not accepted: damaged or stained furniture, mattresses with bedbug history or significant wear, appliances that don’t work, particle-board furniture in poor condition, cribs (federal safety regulations have changed), and exercise equipment that requires reassembly. Always call before scheduling if you’re unsure, pickups that find unacceptable items will leave them behind.
Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)
FreeFreemoval funds free junk removal and cleanouts for households referred by trusted partner organizations, such as nonprofits, housing programs, and senior services. Families don’t apply directly. A partner submits the request and vouches for the need.
Status in Columbia: Not yet available. Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide.
How it works where it operates: One free pickup per household, covering mattresses, furniture, appliances, and bulk household items within standard LoadUp marketplace service. Funded by LoadUp customer round-ups and direct contributions, spent at standard LoadUp rates.
If you run a nonprofit or housing program in Columbia: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Columbia, SC runs a structured three-stream waste system: FREE bulky item pickup by appointment via Columbia Solid Waste Division at (803) 545-3800. The City’s Solid Waste Division separates collection into three categories: yard trimmings, bulky items, and building materials. Bulky items (furniture, appliances, clothing, rigid plastics) require a phone appointment to schedule. Strict 40-pound limit per item. Branches must be under 6 feet long and under 4 inches in diameter. Building materials (bricks, concrete, etc.) may be subject to fees. Service is provided by the City of Columbia Public Works Solid Waste Division. The City uses a hybrid fleet (automated and semi-automated trucks), carts must be 3 ft from trees, mailboxes, vehicles, and other carts for efficient automated collection. Cart removal by 7:30 PM is a city ordinance with fines for violations. Free electronics and fluorescent bulb drop-off at 2910 Colonial Drive Public Works facility (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9:30 AM-3:30 PM). The City of Columbia composting operation processes nearly 25% of total trash tonnage, one of the most successful per-capita composting programs in the South. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The Columbia rule for mattresses: Mattresses are bulk waste by arrangement.
Program basics: Resident-generated household items. Keep bulk separate from yard trimmings and never in the roll cart; carts back by 7:30 p.m. At the curb on your scheduled day, 3 feet from carts, mailboxes, trees, and vehicles, in a separate pile from yard trimmings.
What the city will not take: Electronics (South Carolina law bans TVs, computers, monitors, and printers from any landfill stream; Public Works takes them free on weekdays), construction and building materials, tires, and hazardous waste.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Columbia Public Works: Garbage Collection (bulk items collected separately), City of Columbia Public Works: Drop Off Locations (electronics). Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Why mattresses are different from ordinary bulk. Mattresses contain springs, foam, fabric, and wood, all recyclable individually but bonded together in a way that makes them hard to process. They’re also a notorious vector for bedbugs, which has led several cities to require plastic-wrapping before curbside pickup (NYC and Cleveland have explicit rules).
Three mistakes that get mattresses left at the curb:
When free options don’t fit your timeline or volume:
LoadUp paid mattress pickup
$80+For households who need same-day or in-home pickup, exceed the 40-lb per-item weight limit, have construction debris (subject to City fees), can’t wait for the next Solid Waste appointment, or want full-service hauling without managing weight restrictions, LoadUp offers professional removal in Columbia with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal. LoadUp’s headquarters is in Atlanta, Columbia is part of our regional service area.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your mattress. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book mattress pickup in Columbia with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Columbia proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Columbia junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national mattress disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Columbia: couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring, dishwasher.
Does Columbia pick up mattresses for free?
Yes, after arranging with Solid Waste.
Where can I donate a mattress in Columbia?
Columbia’s donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (subject to program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods.
How much does paid mattress removal cost in Columbia?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single mattress pickup in Columbia starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who need same-day or in-home pickup, exceed the 40-lb per-item weight limit, have construction debris (subject to City fees), can’t wait for the next Solid Waste appointment, or want full-service hauling without managing weight restrictions, LoadUp offers professional removal in Columbia with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal. LoadUp’s headquarters is in Atlanta, Columbia is part of our regional service area.
Can I just put a mattress in my regular trash?
No. Mattresses are too big for residential trash bins and are explicitly banned from regular trash collection in most U.S. cities. Connecticut, Rhode Island, California, and Oregon ban mattresses from landfills entirely under state law. Use one of the free or paid options above instead.
How much do paid mattress pickups cost?
Single mattress pickups typically range $80 to $200 depending on the service and your city. National services (LoadUp, 1-800-Got-Junk, College Hunks) cluster in the $80 to $130 range for one mattress. Local independent haulers can be cheaper ($50 to $100). Booking 2 mattresses together is often only marginally more expensive than booking 1, ask about bundled pricing.
What about box springs, are they treated the same?
Yes, box springs follow the same rules as mattresses in nearly every city, same pickup eligibility, same disposal channels, same bedbug-wrap requirements. State recycling programs (CT, RI, CA, OR) accept both. Most retailers haul both away together with new mattress delivery. King and queen splits typically count as 2 separate items, while single-piece box springs count as 1.
My mattress has bedbugs, what should I do?
Plastic-wrap the mattress fully before moving it (heavy-duty mattress disposal bags are sold at hardware stores for $5 to $15). Many cities require plastic-wrapping for ANY mattress disposal to prevent spreading bedbugs to other households along the route. Donation programs CANNOT accept mattresses with bedbug history. Use city bulk pickup (with proper plastic-wrapping) or paid hauler. Tell the hauler in advance, some services charge extra or refuse, while others handle bedbug mattresses routinely.
Is this Columbia page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Columbia guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
